The West Linn City Council on Monday moved to legally allow chickens in residential areas by adding a new provision to the city code.

The provision clarifies a more than five-year-old code interpretation that has allowed chickens in the city by lumping them in with other domestic animals such as dogs or cats. The city's legal counsel recently found that the interpretation was difficult to defend.

The new rules approved on Monday allow chickens under the following conditions:

No more than five allowed per single-family home

Roosters not allowed

Chickens should be kept in a secure enclosure overnight. The enclosure should be clean, covered, well-ventilated and provide a minimum of two square feet per chicken.

Enclosures must be located at least 20 feet from neighboring residences

Other types of poultry and livestock -- alpacas, hogs, goats and more -- are still permitted on city property more than one acre, as long as the animals are not within 100 feet of another residence and comply with other rules.

During discussion of the rules, Councilor Thomas Frank noted that though the code allowed pigs, it did not allow pigsties. The council later amended the rules to allow pigsties.